Conagra Brands · 1 month ago
Principal Development Scientist - Meat Snacks
Chicago, Illinois
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$107K/yr - $156K/yr
5+ years expConagra Brands is a leading food company with a focus on innovation and inclusivity. They are seeking a Principal Development Scientist to lead R&D projects in the meat snacks category, providing technical expertise and project management to drive product development and commercialization efforts.
Food and BeverageFood ProcessingLifestyle
Responsibilities
Drive long-term planning and product strategy for the Meat Snacks platform
Lead cross-functional projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring alignment with timelines and business objectives
Oversee product development schedules and manage execution to meet project milestones
Direct product cuttings, plant trials, new product startups, and testing to ensure successful launches
Guide prototype development and pilot plant activities, ensuring technical feasibility and innovation
Utilize online specification systems, design experiments, and review reports as the technical authority
Translate consumer insights into strategic product concepts that delight customers
Mentor and coach food scientists to build technical capability and foster collaboration
Travel up to 30% to support projects and plant trials
Qualification
Required
Masters Degree in Meat Science or Food Science plus 7+ years of relevant work experience, in food/meat science; or PhD in Meat Science or Food Science plus 5+ years of work experience in food/meat science
Thorough understanding of meat science and food science principles
Exhibit leadership and proactive attitudes in approaching technical solutions to business and market issues
Independently manage project work and handle multiple projects simultaneously
Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills to influence, resolve conflicts, and deliver impactful messages both orally and in writing
Proficient with Microsoft Office software
Problem-solving skills and ability to build strong internal and external relationships
Demonstrated project management skills
Knowledge in meat product design, formulation, ingredient functionality and interaction, process design, product scale-up, plant testing, and commercialization
Understanding of food industry standards of quality and food safety, FDA regulations, and government regulatory requirements in food processing
Demonstrated exceptional competence in a basic technology needed to meet business strategy and serve as a technical expert for the corporation
Comfortable working in manufacturing environments with varying conditions (noise, heat, cold, wet surfaces, and exposure to all food allergens)
Benefits
Comprehensive healthcare plans
Wellness incentive program
Mental wellbeing support
Fitness reimbursement
Bonus incentive opportunity
Matching 401(k)
Stock purchase plan
Career development opportunities
Employee resource groups
On-demand learning
Tuition reimbursement
Paid-time off
Parental leave
Flexible work-schedules
Volunteer opportunities
Company
Conagra Brands
Conagra Brands is a packaged foods company that offers food products and a variety of other food items.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Conagra Brands has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (15)
2024 (10)
2023 (12)
2022 (8)
2021 (9)
2020 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
unknown1978-01-13IPO
Leadership Team
David Marberger
Executive Vice President & CFO
Carey Bartell
Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Recent News
The Motley Fool
2026-01-21
Company data provided by crunchbase